Eligible candidates who are interested in applying to the stream may benefit from being prepared in advance and ensuring they have all documentation up-to-date and ready to submit.

Applicants who are successfully nominated by the province of Nova Scotia receive an additional 600 Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points, leaving them well positioned to receive an Invitation to Apply for Canadian permanent residence.

Category B of the NSDEE is open to skilled workers with the required amount of work experience in one of Nova Scotia’s opportunity occupations, and who score at least 67 points on Nova Scotia’s unique points system, among other criteria. No job offer is required and there is no mandatory minimum CRS score.

It’s important to note that Nova Scotia recently made changes to its list of opportunity occupations that saw the number of occupations reduced from 16 to 11.

The occupations now on the list are:

Occupation

NOC code

Skill

Financial Auditors and Accountants

1111

A

Other financial officers

1114

A

Professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations

1123

A

Administrative assistants

1241

B

Accounting and related clerks

1311

B

Civil engineers

2131

A

Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses

3012

A

Licensed practical nurses

3233

B

College and other vocational instructors

4021

A

Paralegal and related occupations

4211

B

Social and community service workers

4212

B

To apply under Category B, you must:

Have a profile registered in the federal Express Entry system.

Score 67 points or more on the stream’s six selection factors.

Have at least 1 year of skilled work experience in one of Nova Scotia’s target occupations.

Have a Canadian high school credential or equivalent.

Prove language ability in English or French at Canadian Language Benchmark 7.

Show enough financial resources to successfully settle in Nova Scotia.

The NSDEE’s Category A: Arranged Employment in Nova Scotia remains open. Applicants to this category must have an arranged job offer supported by a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment from a Nova Scotia employer. The job offer must be in a National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill level O, A, or B occupation.

The first step to pursuing either category under NSDEE is to submit a profile to the federal Express Entry pool.

“The announcement of this stream opening a day in advance is welcome news to eligible candidates who find themselves on the revised occupations list,” said Attorney David Cohen, senior partner at the Campbell Cohen Canadian immigration law firm in Montreal. “This program has filled very quickly in the past, and even with a reduced occupation list, will likely fill quickly again when it opens tomorrow.”